Ivan "Ike" Henry Porter

Ivan Henry (Ike) Porter, 89, of Nixa, Missouri, passed away on November 25, 2019. Ike was born in Wiota, Iowa on October 3, 1930 to Ralph and Marie (Aldag) Porter. He graduated from Cumberland High School in 1948. He pursued a variety of interests and acquired a LP gas certification, a real estate license, and completed algebra courses at Arapahoe Community College in Colorado; but his passion was woodworking, which began at a very young age. Ike married Annette Marie Fletcher on March 11, 1951 at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wiota, Iowa. This union was blessed with 68 happy years and three children. Ike worked at many types of jobs during his life. While newly married he worked for Stanford Oil gas station and then Neil Yarger Appliances, installing all appliances and delivering LP bottled gas. Wanting to better support his young family, he made a job change to Fullerton Lumber Yard working up to the position of manager. After many years, Ike's job interests turned to carpentry and self-employment. In 1960, he moved his family to Colorado for better employment opportunities. He went to work as a firefighter for Martin Marietta. From here he returned to his primary calling as a skilled finish carpenter. He practiced this trade in Arapahoe County, Colorado at Sanford Homes where he was highly respected and became supervisor of custom homes. After retirement, in 1992, he and his wife moved to Missouri to be closer to family. Ike enjoyed pheasant hunting, fishing, trapping, and especially furniture building. He loved to bowl, pitch horseshoes, and to play a good game of cribbage or pinochle. Ike was known for his booming laugh and his love of good food. He was a confirmed Christian and a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Nixa, Missouri. Ike is preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Marie Porter. He is survived by his wife, Annette, children Colleen Baker, Vicki Porter-McGowan (Mike), and Dallas Porter (Cynthia), a sister Doris Comes (Gary), grandchildren James Baker (Amanda), Nathan Baker (Katy), Gavin Griffin (Laura), Erin Craney (Steven), Christopher Porter (Ashley), and Nicole Kucera (Sam), great-grandchildren Emma-Leigh, Nathan, and Anna-Belle Baker, Liam and Rowan Craney, Madylin Griffin, Maxwell and Graham Kucera, and other relatives and friends. A visitation will be held from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Friday, December 6, 2019 in Adams Funeral Home, Nixa. A short visitation will be held from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM December 7, 2019 in Redeemer Lutheran Church, Nixa, with the funeral service following at 11:00 AM in the church, under direction of Adams Funeral Home, Nixa. Burial will follow at 2:00 PM at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, Springfield, under direction of Adams Funeral Home, Nixa.